Drethek
Drethek is a land of ancient enchantments and severe oppression, lying in the very heart of Dalkhrova, at the southern end of the Walgäuer Alps. The mountains of Drethek are rugged but traversable, though vegetation is sparse and landslides are not uncommon. The dusty cliffs and canyons slope downward to a sweeping landscape of knolls and valleys stretching off to the horizon. Massive blocks of golden stone and half-buried statuary hint at a forgotten era. Mineral springs, common in the foothills, are warm pools of jade-green water encrusted with alkali salts. Farther southward, the foothills become dry plains blanketed by brown grasses and briars. Herds of sheep wander the lonely plains, their bleating carried weakly on the breezes. Occasional stands of trees dot the grasslands, but overall Drethek is a land of open sky and trackless terrain. The poorer Drethkai people dwell in simple, squat structures of whitewashed brick. Roofs are flat and facades are unadorned, though tiny, dutifully tended vegetable gardens grow alongside many homes. The estates of the wealthy, by comparison, are sprawling, opulent abodes. Magnificent edifices of polished gray, pink, and russet stone are surrounded by serene gardens of poppy flowers and bubbling fountains. Delicate latticework covers the tiny, rounded windows. Towering minarets and domes inlaid with intricate mosaics sparkle in the sun. Drethek has a generally mild but temperate climate featuring long, hot summers and short, wet winters. Although the Walgäuer Alps are capped with snow, truly frigid weather is rare elsewhere in Drethek. Drethkai People The Drethkai can be divided into two distinct classes. The commoner class makes up 99% of the population. They have short, muscular statures and skin that ranges from pale to light olive-tan. Hair color is usually light brown or blonde, and eye color is almost always blue. Men keep their hair wild and wear bushy beards, while women work their long tresses into elaborate braids. Both genders dress in baggy trousers, tunics, or smocks and prefer earthy colors highlighted with dark reds, blues, and greens. Both genders of the upper classes ritually shave their heads daily. They also remove what little body hair they have and cover their skin with elaborate tattoos. Men and women wear distinct designs by tradition, and receiving one's first tattoo is a sign of adulthood among the Drethkai nobility. Both genders wear cloth wrappings instead of trousers or breeches and swath themselves in luxurious scarlet robes. Women wear vests, but men prefer to go about bare chested. Soft slippers and baroque jewelry complete the ensemble. Years of nervous submission under the King's cruel eye have turned the commoners and the nobility alike into distrustful and suspicious folk. They have learned to be wary of others' motives and tend to regard everyone they meet as cold rivals or outright enemies. The commoners react with stubbornness, refusing to submit to those without authority to back up their strength. The nobility, meanwhile, become livid with rage when their demands are not met in a prompt fashion. The Law in Drethek Drethek's ruler is the tyrant thaumaturge King Gyorfi Koppany, who holds power through sheer ruthlessness and arcane might. Although he rules under no mandate, Koppany has established something resembling a feudal state, with a council of noble governors overseeing various regions in his realm. Each governor is personally responsible for enforcing Koppany's decrees, collecting taxes, and keeping the peace. The governors appoint other nobles to help administer their territories, granting land and minor titles in return for shared culpability. Although there is the appearance of law in Drethek, it is the byzantine system of boons and favors among the nobility that usually determines who can obtain justice. The commoners are stranded on the outside of this system, unable to participate except when it is strategically expedient for the nobles to involve them. There is no state military in Drethek. Each noble family recruits a personal group of commoner soldiers, resulting in several hundred small corps of bodyguards, each in the service of a different master. Koppany, for his part, has no interest in the politics of his own people, instead concentrating on his thaumaturgical research. While the arcane arts were once outlawed in Drethek, Koppany has since institutionalized them. His alchemical academy in Krusp trains the most promising young apprentices, molding them to Koppany's own mysterious purposes. Resources Drethek is an insular domain where the folk are more concerned with their own squabbles than events in distant lands. The land's reputation as a place of thaumaturgical power, however, draws the curious and the foolish. Koppany apparently has little interest in making allies with his neighbors and is known to use captured spies for magical experimentation. Drethek conducts some trade with Romavia and Larnost, but the Drethkai are generally not eager to invite outsiders to their realm. Category:Locations Category:Locations in Dalkhrova